This page is dedicated
to baby turtles. It began September 14, 2001 when two baby box turtles
were found as you will read below. If you have turtles, you will understand
how very precious we think baby turtles are. On this page we will tell
their stories. As they grow they will be featured in other picture galleries.
It is risky featuring babies because we do not expect all of them to survive.
That is the nature of these animals and we must accept it. Many hatch for
a few to survive.

The species of turtles
are listed chronilogically as they were added. Additional sets of pictures
are added according to species.

To aid you in identifying
your turtles and to see what is normal as babies are hatching, we will
add additional sets of pictures featuring the same species of turtles.

George
and BushFriday September 14, 2001.
In Washington D.C. the memorial service in the National Cathedral had ended.
In Pennsylvania in a large backyard turtle pen the afternoon weather was
beautiful. Thunderstorms dropped an inch of rain the previous night. The
same rain fell on New York City. Undoubtedly stirred by the rain and warmth
of the sun, a baby box turtle emerged from its nest and wandered several
feet away. The turtle pen is large enough for the baby turtle to hide in
for years without being found.

A person takes a minute
to visit the turtles in the pen and by chance finds the baby turtle. A
search for more babies began. An egg shell revealed the nest site. In the
nest another baby was found along with two dried up eggs.

With the events of the week
heavy on the heart, they were named George and Bush. They were also photographed
and their pictures posted on this web site for the whole world to enjoy
within two hours after emerging from the nest. George emerged first and
is on the right on this page background.

George and Bush are probably
eastern box turtles but could also be gulf coast box turtles. There is
no visible difference at first. Nor were their sexes known.

Having photographed these
turtles and shared them with the world so quickly, we have a very nice
opportunity to continue sharing them with you. We think you will agree,
they are precious and remarkable.

Bush is the subject of our
eleventh wallpaper picture taken in July, 2003. See the Wallpaper
Pictures page.

Spotted TurtlesClemmys guttata

W
Tuesday, October 2, 2001. Another warm sunny day and another very pleasant
surprise, A spotted turtle hatched and was found. Immediately named W after
President George W. Bush. W was not expected and is the offspring of Spot
featured on the Spotted
and Wood Turtles Pictures page. The nest was never found.

LauraThursday, October 25, 2001
just 52 days after being laid another miracle rolled out of its egg. The
egg broke open two days earlier. One of four eggs laid on September 5 by
Gulf. These eggs were unearthed and incubated at 84 degrees F. The other
eggs were not fertile. Named Laura (could become Laural later).

| pic 11 | pic
12 | pic 13 | pic 14
| pic 15 |In these pictures
we can see the shells flaring out indicating that their mother was a Gulf
Coast box turtle. It is also possible that some were fathered by a Gulf
Coast box turtle and some by an Eastern box turtle.

Four
baby Gulf Coast box turtlesThe story of these four
babies begins on Tour 20: Breeding
Pet Turtles on the Raising
Baby Turtles page when their nest was discovered. See pics 29 through
34. Here we continue with their hatching. Understand that what you are
about to see would normally take place underground in the nest. In pic
1 the first turtle to hatch is the one that turned around and is hiding
in its egg shell. This is typical.

TinytwoTinytwo was wild caught
in a dirty polluted water hole in a draught. The area normally has major
wet lands and many ponds. This is one lucky turtle to survive. Note the
black and white markings on the underside of Tinytwo and see how the markings
change as Tinytwo grows as shown on the Musk,
Mud, and Snapping Turtles Pictures page.

Six
baby red-eared slidersThese six babies were from
a patch of several dozen confiscated from a street corner vendor. They
were turned over to a herp society who found them homes. Their relationships
to each other are unknown. Even with pictures of their plastrons, it is
very confusing telling them apart.

Eight
eastern painted turtlesEight eastern painted turtles
hatched out of eight eggs laid. One did not survive. They hatched over
a five day period beginning 7/23/2004. A young woman traveled over four
hours to adopt these babies. She was very pleasently surprised to find
that these seven were joined by another three from a second clutch of eggs
that hatched a few days later. She felt the drive was worth it.

More
eastern painted turtlesHere
are more pictures of another clutch of babies. Notice there is no pattern
on the plastron (bottom shell). The white point under the nostrals is the
egg tooth used to break open the egg.

PincushionWhat do you name a baby
turtle when its mother is named Davenport and its father is named Sofa?
Pincushion! Pincushion was found in the Spring of 2005 which means Pincushion
overwintered in the nest. The nest was not found nor were any siblings.
Sofa jointed Davenport in 2003 for the purpose of mating, but Davenport
never appeared gravid nor was seen laying eggs. What a thrill to find Pincushion.
Pictures of Davenport and Sofa may be seen on the Sliders,
Cooters, and Painted Turtles Pictures page.

Two
mud turtlesThese
two Florida mud turtles hatched at Thanksgiving, 2007 and are five months
old in the first pictures. They are so very small. After hatching they
were placed in a vivarium with some baby box turtles where they quickly
buried themslves. They were not seen for a month. Then they were noticed
entering the water bowl in late mornings and eating turtle food sticks.
Mud turtles are semi-aquatic turtles that walk the bottoms of shallow waters
looking for food. Our baby turtle safe water bowl provides more than enough
water for them to eat.

Notice
the dirt caked to the smaller turtle. These turtles spend most of their
time buried in soil or mud.

Nine
box turtlesFirst
there were six and now there are nine. These nine baby Florida box turtles
are not all siblings and did not all start out living together. Some hatched
in 2007 and some in 2008. After many months of being available for adoption
they ended up joining us. We look forward to watching them grow and sharing
pictures of them with you.